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Valencia County Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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The life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was once again celebrated and honored in Valencia County, with two annual ceremonies.
For the 34th year, the Rio Abajo Lodge No. 17, UNM-Valencia Campus, Mount Everest Lodge No. 1 and Vision Lodge No. 18, co-hosted the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Service on Saturday, Jan. 18, in the Student Community Center at UNM-VC.
Larry Brown, of RAL and who served as master of ceremonies, recited the poem, “Harlem” by Langston Hughes.
“It’s a shame that a person who has an ideal or a dream has to die,” Brown said. “Think about that dream.”
Keith Norwood, Belen’s municipal court judge, was the guest speaker. He retired from the New Mexico Department of Corrections after serving 25 years. He also served as a detention center administrator, a warden and is currently the football coach at Belen Middle School.
“When you think about Dr. Martin Luther King, you have to think about the goodness of God,” Norwood told the crowd. “I can’t help but think about the similarities between him and Moses with the Jewish people. When they were enslaved, they cried out for 400 years while they were in bondage. God heard them cry, and he sent his servant, Moses.
“The American Negro was crying out for 200 years for freedom and equality,” Norwood said. “It wasn’t about the individual person who didn’t like the Negros. It was about the government that perpetuated hatred.
“Martin Luther King was America’s Moses. He was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1925. He lived in a middle class family; he had it better than most, but he still experienced segregation.”
Norwood said God gave King a purpose — to help those who felt disenfranchised and marginalized. King’s work, his words, his engagements and his passion got him arrested 29 times, the local judge said.
“Four days after he was arrested at a protest, someone blew up his house,” Norwood said. “But this man stayed the course. He had a dream — which was God’s purpose — and he wanted to make it come true. He did not stutter, he stayed the course because it wasn’t about him. It was about God and setting the people free.”
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Norwood said when thinking about King, he asked that everyone look to his character. The judge said people believed in King, they stood by him, and they persevered.
Describing what it was like growing up in segregated schools in Atlanta, Norwood recalled there wasn’t anything equal about being separate because they got the worst of everything.
“I don’t know if they had a free lunch program back then, but it wasn’t given to the Black people. We starved. Our books were all raggily and torn up. What the White schools didn’t want, we got it.
“Although the books were worn and torn up, we got an education, and that was the starting point. Education is important,” Norwood said. “Because of what (King) did, he set the blueprint for me, not just because I’m a Black man. He set the blueprint for any individual who, in this country, wants to succeed.”
Norwood said during his career, he would have to prove he was the best person for the job, saying he’s more than the color of his skin.
“I’m a man. I’m a man who happens to be Black. I was made for the pleasure of my God,” he said. “I’m just as good as any body else.”
The judge said Martin Luther King Jr. never called for hatred. He never called for revenge. He always called for peace.
“This is not the same America as it was in 1960,” Norwood said. “This is not the America of the 1800s. Are we perfect? No, but we’re striving for excellence when it comes to relationships between citizens of this country. Will we get there? Maybe not in our lifetimes, but someday we will. One day, we will.”
During the 31st annual Belen Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural Commission’s annual Candlelight Vigil on Monday, Jan. 20, at the Belen Public Library, King’s dream was partly realized as community members again gathered together to honor his memory.
Belen Mayor Robert Noblin welcomed the audience and thanked the commission members for their continued work and mission to share King’s mission and dream.
“Today as we gather here in Belen, we honor the life and legacy of a man whose dream of equality and justice continues to inspire and challenge us,” Noblin said. “Dr. King once said, ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’
“It’s gatherings like this that remind us that we are a part of the hands bending that arc forward,” the mayor said. “In a time when the political climate often reflects division and discord, our presence here today is a powerful testimony to Dr. King’s enduring vision.”
Noblin said despite our differences, we can come together to share King’s commitment of unity, compassion and progress. The mayor said the candlelight vigil is more than a reflection of the past, but it’s been a call to action for the present and future.
“It’s proof that Dr. King’s message still resonates, bringing people of all walks of life together to reaffirm that hope, love and understanding can triumph over fear and hatred,” Noblin said.
Geneva Nixon, the former chairwoman of the Belen Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural Commission and a retired Belen High School English teacher, was honored as the ceremony’s keynote speaker.
Nixon said King is known for many attributes.
“When you think about him, you think about that he was a preacher, a deliberate thinker and he was also called a great orator,” Nixon said. “He was known as such a great speaker, but he actually received a C in public speaking in college.”
She said it says a lot about the man who had to overcome to be able to do what he had to do and become the man he was.
“I like to think of him as a renaissance man because his ideals, his life and who he was definitely transcends time,” Nixon said. “If he was alive with us today, he would be just as relevant he was years ago.”
Nixon also likes to think of King as a dreamer, saying we all need to understand that he was a man who had an idea to help humanity.
During the candlelight vigil, the commission presented awards to area school children who participated in the annual art contest. In the kindergarten through sixth grade category, the winners were 1. Elsie David; 2. Ryan Sandlin; and 3. Glory Landovazo.
In the sixth through 12th grade category, the winners were, 1. Lydia Gonzales; 2. Megan Gallegos; and 3. Hannah Keisling.
